Identification of QTLs for grain size and characterization of the beneficial alleles of grain size genes in large grain rice variety BL129

Grain size is one of the most important agronomic components of grain yield. Grain length, width and thickness are controlled by multiple quantitative trait loci (QTLs). To understand genetic basis of large grain shape and explore the beneficial alleles for grain size improvement, we perform QTL analysis using an F2 population derived from a cross between the japonica variety Beilu 129 (BL129, wide and thick grain) and the elite indica variety Huazhan (HZ, narrow and long grain). A total number of eight major QTLs are detected on three different chromosomes. QTLs for grain width (qGW), grain thickness (qGT), brown grain width (qBGW), and brown grain thickness (qBGT) explained 77.67, 36.24, 89.63, and 39.41% of total phenotypic variation, respectively. The large grain rice variety BL129 possesses the beneficial alleles of GW2 and qSW5/GW5, which have been known to control grain width and weight, indicating that the accumulation of the beneficial alleles causes large grain shape in BL129. Further results reveal that the rare gw2 allele from BL129 increases grain width, thickness and weight of the elite indica variety Huazhan, which is used as a parental line in hybrid rice breeding. Thus, our findings will help breeders to carry out molecular design breeding on rice grain size and shape.